Inoue, The Counterfeiter and Other Stories (2000)

Yasushi Inoue.
The Counterfeiter and Other Stories.
Translated by Leon Picon.
Boston, Rutland Vermont, Tokyo: Tuttle Publishing (Periplus Editions), 1965, 2000.

Book Information : Google Books; Amazon.com; Internet Archive.

Note: "The Counterfeiter" was recently published in a new English translation:

• Yasushi Inoue. Life of a Counterfeiter. Translated by Michael Emmerich. London: Pushkin Press, 2014.
  (Also includes two other stories: "Reeds" and "Mr. Goodall's Gloves.")
  [Publisher; Google Books; Internet Archive; Amazon.com; GoodReads.com.]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author Information :

• Yasushi Inoue (1907–1991), Wikipedia English.
• 井上靖 (1907–1991), Wikipedia Japan.
  (Japanese Wikipedia pages for Japanese authors are far more detailed than the corresponding English Wikipedia one.)
• 井上靖記念館, Yasushi Inoue Memorial Museum, Asahikawa City, Hokkaido.
• Yasushi Inoue Books in English, Internet Archive.
• Yasushi Inoue, GoodReads.com.
• Japanese literature: Postwar literature (1945–onwards), Wikipedia English.
• 日本文学 [Japanese Literature], Wikipedia Japan.
• 日本の近現代文学史 [History of modern Japanese literature], Wikipedia Japan.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Translator Information :

• Leon Picon Obituary (1917-1994), The Washington Post, 23 August 1994.
• Lew Schmidt, "Interview with Leon Picon" (transcript), The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training: Foreign Affairs Oral History Project, Information Series; Library of Congress, 30 October 1989.
  Another, better formatted, version of the transcript, The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training.
  • Unfortunately, Picon did not discuss his Japanese literary translation work in this interview; the interviewer mainly asked about his work as a U.S. Foreign Service Officer. It's not only about the details of State Department bureaucracy: the interview contains interesting biographical information about Picon, amusing anecdotes about William Faulkner's visit to Japan, and a few, too few, other accounts about his time in Japan. Picon was in Japan from 1955 to 1965.
  • United States Information Agency (USIA), Wikipedia.
  • "Impressions of Japan," U.S.I.S., 1955.
    (A film about William Faulkner's visit to Japan, discussed on pages 16-24 of the LoC interview transcript, pages 12-18 in the ADST version.)
  • Charles Frankel. The Neglected Aspect of Foreign Affairs: American Educational and Cultural Policy Abroad. Washington, D.C.: The Brookings Institution, 1966.
    [Google Books; Amazon.com.]
  • Charles Frankel. High on Foggy Bottom: An Outsider's Inside View of the Government. New York: Harper & Row, 1969.
    [Google Books; Amazon.com.]
  • Charles Frankel. "paper title unknown." In: Prologue to the Future: the United States and Japan in the Post-industrial Age. Edited by James William Morley. Published for The Japan Society by Lexington Books, 1974.
    [Google Books; Amazon.com.]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Contents of The Counterfeiter and Other Stories :

1. "The Counterfeiter" [1951].
   • Life of a Counterfeiter, Wikipedia English.
   • "The Counterfeiter" was recently published in a new English translation:
     Yasushi Inoue. Life of a Counterfeiter. Translated by Michael Emmerich. London: Pushkin Press, 2014.
     (Also includes two other stories: "Reeds" and "Mr. Goodall's Gloves.")
     [Publisher; Google Books; Internet Archive; Amazon.com; GoodReads.com.]
2. "Obasute" [1956].
   • Ubasute, Wikipedia English.
     This article has an image of the ukiyo-e woodblock print "Ubasute no tsuki" (The Moon of Ubasute) from the series One Hundred Aspects of the Moon (number 97), 1885-1892, by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi.
     Seeing this image after reading the story, I wonder if it was one of Inoue's inspirations for his story (or perhaps an inspiration for the cover art on the book of stories mentioned by the narrator in the story).
   • うばすてやま [Ubasuteyama], Wikipedia Japan.
3. "The Full Moon" [1958].
   • The president of a corporation initiates a series of annual company retreats scheduled to coincide with the harvest moon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Natsukawa, The Cat Who Saved Books (2023)

Sosuke Natsukawa.
The Cat Who Saved Books.
Translated by Louise Heal Kawai.
London: Picador (Pan Macmillan), 2021.
New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2023.
(Originally published in Japan by Shogakukan, 2017.)

Book Information : Publisher; Google Books; Amazon.com; Goodreads.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author Information :

• 夏川草介 [Sosuke Natsukawa, a pen name / psuedonym] (b. 1978), Wikipedia Japan.
• Sosuke Natsukawa, The Cat Who Saved Books, 2017, English translation 2021; Wikipedia English.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Translator Information :

• Louise Heal Kawai, @quietmoonwave17, Twitter / X.
• Louise Heal Kawai, Words Without Borders [has a translation by Louise Heal Kawai].
• Louise Heal Kawai, Granta [has a couple translations by Louise Heal Kawai].
• Some other books translated by Louise Heal Kawai :
  • Masateru Konishi, 小西マサテル (b. 1965), My Grandfather, the Master Detective [20##], English translation 2025.
  • Sosuke Natsukawa, 夏川草介 (b. 1978), The Cat Who Saved the Library [20##], English translation 2025.
  • Seicho Matsumoto (1909–1992), Point Zero [1959], English translation 2024.
  • Rio Shimamoto (b. 1983), First Love [2018], English translation 2024.
  • Hideo Yokoyama (b. 1957), The North Light [2019], English translation 2023.
  • Seishi Yokomizo (1902–1981), Death on Gokumon Island [1948], English translation 2022.
  • Seishi Yokomizo (1902–1981), The Honjin Murders [1946], English translation 2019.
  • Soji Shimada (b. 1948), Murder in the Crooked House [1982], English translation 2019.
  • Mieko Kawakami (b. 1976), Ms Ice Sandwich [2013], English translation 2018.
  • Hideo Yokoyama (b. 1957), Seventeen [2003], English translation 2018.
  • Ito Ogawa, 小川糸, (b. 1973), The Island of Expectation [Japanese title: つるかめ助産院, Tsurukame Midwifery Clinic, 2010], English translation 2017.
  • Seicho Matsumoto (1909–1992), A Quiet Place [1975], English translation 2016.
  • Taeko Tomioka, 富岡多恵子 (1935–2023), Building Waves [Japanese title: 波うつ土地, The Land of Waves or Wavy Land, 1983], English translation 2012.
  • Shoko Tendo, Yakuza Moon: Memoirs of a Gangster's Daughter [2004], English translation 2007.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wikipedia Articles :

• Young adult literature.
• 日本の近現代文学史 [History of modern Japanese literature].
• 大衆小説 [Popular novels].
• 中間小説 [Intermediate novel].
• ファンタジー [Fantasy].

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Comments :

The Cat Who Saved Books is not adult literature. The main characters are two high school students; the simple story uses fantasy adventures to make pious points about the value of books. A cat plays a secondary role as a messenger ... from the the spirit world? ... from the main character's recently deceased grandfather? The book is not about people's relationships with their cats as is the case with Hiraide's The Guest Cat or Inaba's Mornings With My Cat Mii. Given the age of the main characters, the use of fantasy elements (which seem intended for an Anime production), and the pious lessons imparted, I categorize this book as Young Adult literature that's safe (i.e., non-controversial) for the middle school or high school classroom (but which might cause an unfortunate degeneration of the curriculum since its use might displace an older more sophisticated classic work of greater literary merit).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Inoue, Lou-lan and Other Stories (1981)

Yasushi Inoue.
Lou-lan and Other Stories.
Translated by James T. Araki and Edward Seidensticker.
Tokyo and New York: Kodansha International, 1979, 1981.

Book Information : Amazon.com; Internet Archive; Goodreads.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author Information :

• Yasushi Inoue (1907–1991), Wikipedia English.
• 井上靖 (1907–1991), Wikipedia Japan.
  (Japanese Wikipedia pages for Japanese authors are far more detailed than the corresponding English Wikipedia one.)
• Yasushi Inoue Books in English, Internet Archive.
• Japanese literature: Postwar literature (1945–onwards), Wikipedia English.
• 日本文学 [Japanese Literature], Wikipedia Japan.
• 日本の近現代文学史 [History of modern Japanese literature], Wikipedia Japan.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Contents of Lou-lan and Other Stories :

1. "Lou-lan" [1959], translated by Edward Seidensticker.
   • Loulan Kingdom.
   • Tarim Basin.
2. "The Sage," translated by James T. Araki.
   • Issyk-Kul, eastern Kyrgyzstan.
3. "Princess Yung-t'ai's Necklace," translated by Edward Seidensticker.
   • Princess Yongtai (685 – 701).
4. "The Opaline Cup," translated by James T. Araki.
   • Emperor Ankan (466 – 536) and Princess Kasuga no Yamada (? – d. 539).
   • The Shōsō-in of Emperor Shōmu (701 – 756).
   • Furuichi Kofun Cluster.
5. "The Rhododendrons," translated by Edward Seidensticker.
   • "The Rhododendrons of Hira" was included in:
     The Columbia Anthology of Modern Japanese Literature: Volume 2: 1945 to the Present, Edited by J. Thomas Rimer and Van C. Gessel, Columbia University Press, 2007 (pages 128-148).
     [Publisher; Amazon.com.]
     and also in:
     The Columbia Anthology of Modern Japanese Literature: Abridged, Edited by J. Thomas Rimer and Van C. Gessel, Columbia University Press, 2011 (pages 542-562).
     [Publisher; Google Books; Amazon.com.]
6. "Passage to Fudaraku," translated by James T. Araki.
   • 補陀落渡海 [Fudaraku Crossing the Sea], Wikipedia Japan
     (article explains the religious and cultural background and history of the practice).
   • "Passage to Fudaraku" was included in:
     The Oxford Book of Japanese Short Stories, Edited by Theodore W. Goossen, Oxford University Press, 1997, 2010.
     [Publisher; Google Books; Amazon.com, 1997; Amazon.com, 2010.]
     My post for the Oxford anthology is here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sukegawa, Sweet Bean Paste (2017)

Durian Sukegawa.
Sweet Bean Paste.
Translated by Alison Watts.
London: Oneworld Publications, 2017.
(First published in Japan by Poplar Publishing Co., 2013; revised edition, 2015.)

Book Information : Publisher; Google Books; Amazon.com; Goodreads.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author Information :

• ドリアン助川 (b. 1962), pen name / psuedonym of Tetsuya Akikawa, Wikipedia Japan.
  (Google Translate presents his name with four slightly different spellings in this article: Durian Sukekawa, Durian Sukegawa, Dorian Sukegawa, Dorian Sukekawa.)
• Tetsuya Sukegawa, Meiji Gakuin University.
• 助川 哲也 ; SUKEGAWA Tetsuya, The Faculty of International Studies, Meiji Gakuin University.
• あん (小説), first published 2013, revised edition 2015, movie 2015; English translation published as Sweet Bean Paste; Wikipedia Japan.
• Sweet Bean Paste, 2017; Wikipedia English.
• "Author of novel on leprosy stresses every life has meaning in lecture," The Mainichi, 15 September 2018.
• Alison Watts and Durian Sukegawa, "An Introduction to Durian Sukegawa’s A Dosimeter on the Narrow Road to Oku." Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus, Volume 21, Issue 5, Number 1, 15 May 2023.
• Durian Sukegawa, "Cycling the Narrow Road to the Deep North: Thoughts, Sights, and Encounters," translated by Alison Watts, Asymptote, April 2020.
  (This excerpt from A Dosimeter on the Narrow Road to Oku does not overlap with the one published in Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus above. I recommend reading the Asia-Pacific Journal one first since it covers the beginning of Sukegawa's journey and ends with his arrival in Nasu while the Asymptote excerpt continues, after an introduction, with stories of people he met while in Nasu and later in his journey.)
• "Travelogue as Moral Inquiry: Cycling the Narrow Road to the Deep North [PDF], A Primal Design: Spring 2020 Educator’s Guide, Asymptote, 2020, pages 5-9.
  (This is a collection of lesson plans for teachers using the excerpt from Asymptote above.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Translator Information :

• Alison Watts: Japanese to English Literary Translator.
• List of other books translated by Alison Watts at her website Alison Watts.
• Alison Watts, LinkedIn.
• Alison Watts, Words Without Borders.
• Deborah Iwabuchi, "The Saga of Sweet Bean Paste: A Conversation with Alison Watts," SCBWI Japan Translation Group.
• Alison Watts, "Literary Journeys: Living Through Art in the Wake of Disaster," Words Without Borders, 11 March 2019.
• Christopher Hermelin, "Alison Watts: The Life of a Translator and Reading for Fun When Your Job is in the Literary World," So Many Damn Books, 13 December 2022.
• "Ms Alison Watts," St Mark's College, North Adelaide, South Australia.
  (Biography and interview of an alumna of the college.)
• Watts Sashiko, Alison Watts' website about Sashiko (a type of embroidery).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wikipedia Articles :

• Leprosy in Japan.
• Tama Zenshoen Sanatorium, appears as "Tenshoen" in Sweet Bean Paste.
• National Hansen's Disease Museum (Japan), mentioned in Sweet Bean Paste.
• Cannabis in Japan; the character Sentaro in Sweet Bean Paste spent two years in prison for a cannabis offense.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Inoue, Shirobamba (1993)

Yasushi Inoue.
Shirobamba: A Childhood in Old Japan [1962].
Translated by Jean Oda Moy.
New York: Weatherhill, 1993.
(This English translation was previously published: London: Peter Owen Publishers, 1991.)

Book Information : Publisher; Google Books; Amazon.com; Internet Archive Open Library.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wikipedia Articles :

• Yasushi Inoue (1907–1991).
• 井上靖 (1907–1991).
  (As usual, the Japanese Wikipedia page for a Japanese author is far more detailed than the one on English Wikipedia.)
• しろばんば [Shirobamba] (serialized 1960-1962).
• Japanese literature: Postwar literature (1945–onwards).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yasushi Inoue Books in English, Internet Archive.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tanizaki's The Makioka Sisters provides a glimpse of Japanese life in mid-1930s Osaka and its suburbs. In an analogous manner Inoue's Shirobamba provides a glimpse of Japanese life in a rural village on the Izu Peninsula at the beginning of the 20th century.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~